Friction-gearing.



.C. IVI. P. IVIONTBAIIBON & G. E. CHEDRU. H. WA'E'L, ADMINISTRATOR OFC. M. P. MONTBAIIBON, DEC'D.

FRICTION GEARlNG.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. IB. 1915.

Patented June 12,'1917.

I`l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I I I I UNTTEB STATES PATENT FFTQE.

CHARLES lVI. P. IVIONTBARBON, DECEASED. LATE OF NEUILLY, BY HENRI WAL, ADMINISTRATOR, OF LEVALLOIS-PERRET, FRANCE, .AND GUSTAVE EMILE CHDRU, or LEVALLOIS-PERRET, FRANCE.

FRICTION-GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June i2, i917.

Application led. January 1S, 1915. Serial N0. 2,945.

residing at Levallois-Perret, Department of Seine, France, (HENRI WAEL, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Levallois- Perret, Department of the Seine, France,

administrator of said CHARLES M. P. MONT- v Bannon have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction- Gearing, of which the following is a specication.

The present invention relates to friction gearing for motor cars, and more particularly to that type of gearing which comprises a disk and a vfriction wheel coperative therewith.

The invention comprehends, briefly, the provision of means or mechanism for automatically imposing a gradually-increasing pressure upon the disk as the friction wheel approaches nearer toward the center thereof, so that the force of engagement or contact between the two parts thus varies in accordance with the changes in their relative positions and, therefore, with the changes in speed.

An embodimentv of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying-drawing, wherey -latter having keyedthereon a sliding sleeve Figure 1 is a fragmental, horizontal section of a motor car equipped with the improved gearing, the section being rtaken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 isa part-sectional side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4L is an enlarged detail section, showing the mounting of a driving rod included in the invention. s

According to the invention, which is shown and described as applied toa motor car, there is provided a forwardly-extending tube a formed with an enlarged rear end a, to which isv connected a pair of rearwardlyextending, curved branches a2 and a3, the whole constituting a solid or rigid frame which avoids vibration. This frame is secured to the chassis of the car at three points only, viz: at the free ends @2 and a?? of l the branches a2 and a3, respectively, whichare fastened directly to the side bars of the chassis, and at the free end alo of the tube a', which is attached to one of the cross-bars thereof.

Within the tube a is disposed a shaft which is inclosed by an intermediate hollow shaft or tube o, the arrangement being such that the parts b, 6 are capable of a slight endwise movement in unison in said tube a.

The shaft is connected at one end, by a universal oi nt c, with the crank shaft of the engine, and has a friction disk Z2 attached toits'other end, for engagement with a friction wheel CZ', the latter -being keyed for sliding movement on a shaft d, which is mounted in the ends ofthe branches a2 and a3 and is disposed perpendicularly to, and co-planar with the shaft This shaft CZ is connected todrive the rear axle, (not shown) by a suitably chain and sprocket mechanism y', (Fig. 1).

.To effect the movements of the friction wheel d along its shaft, a mechanism is provided, which comprises a two-armed lever e, pivoted at its apeX on a vertical pin c, liXed to the branches, and a control lever f. One arm of this lever e is connected by a rod e2 to said friction wheel, while its other arm is connected by a rod e3 to an arm f, which is keyed to a transverse shaft or spindle f2, the

Z3 to which the afore-mentioned control lever f is secured. As the friction wheel approaches the center of the disk b', said disk is caused to bear against the friction wheel with gradually-increasing force, such action being obtained automatically through the intermediaryV of suitable means or mechanism, connected up, as hereinafter described, to the shaft o, so as to move the latter toward said friction' wheel.

The mechanism j ust referred to, preferably embodies a two-armed lever, or its equivalent, one arm of which is connected to shift shaft b endwise, while-the other arm is operatively associated with a device which eX- erts a constant pressure thereon, the point at which such force or pressure is imposed varying in accordancev with the movements of the friction wheel el. In the construction illustrated, a spindle g is journaled annular shoulders 722 provided on tube 7J", so

that arocking movement of spindle g will efect an endwise movement of' said tube and, with it, shaft 7), said fork thus forming one of the two arms of the lever above mentioned. The other arm of said lever is constituted by an arcuate rod g2, which is pivoted to the projecting end of the spindle g, said rod having a sliding engagement with the bifiircated upper portion 7b2 of Aa driving rod 702. The body portion of this rod extends loosely into a casing 7L", which is pivoted at its lower end on a pin 7L, carried bythe tube fi', or by some other fixed part, said pin 7i being located concentrically with respect to the curved rod or arm g2. VVithin'this casing 7i, there is alsov arranged a downwardly-acting expansible coil spring 715, which encircl'es rod 712, and bears at its i lower end against the enlarged lower end 714 of the rod', and at its upper endv against` the upper 'wall of the casing, as shown in Fig. 4. The enlarged rodv end 7V* just referred to, has a sliding fit within said cas-` ing, by reason of vwhich fact the rod will bel 71.3 of rod 7b2 in juxtaposition to the spindle g, the downward pressure exerted by the -afore-k said spring h5 will b'e ineffective todepress rod 71,2,so as to produce roc'kingmo'vement of the curved lever varm 2 since the levera e affordedbythe latter is insufficient to overcome the weightof the shaftb and associated partsconnected with said arm. But

if the casing 7L" be swung forwardly, then the leverage'afforded by arm g2 will be correspondingly' increased, with the result that the spring will beeiiabled to pull rod 712 and arm g2downwardly, though the force'actiially exerted by the spring itself remains constant.- vThe downward movement of arm r/2 eai'ises'a rocking movement of'spindleg in a couiitercldckwise direction, thereby` causingfork g,'to rock in the same direction' and,`y` therefore, to move shaft 'b refa'rwardly," this movement of shaft?) serving to press disk 7) against thev friction wheel (7, the pressure increasing as the downward movement of arm (/2 continues.

The forward swinging movement of cas? ing 71 is effectedy automatically, as previously stated, and is preferably obtained by pivotally connecting to said casing the for-v ward end'of a rod or link i, whose rear end is pivoted to anarm f2, which is keyed to i the shaft or spindle f2 and extends'downwardlyand rearwardly therefrom, as vshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.v Hence, when le-` ver f is swung rearwardly to shift the friction wheel c7 toward the center of the disk 7)', said arm f3 will be caused to swing forwardly, and, in turn, will shift rod @"forward, thereby effecting the desired movement of the casing'7zf. The yaforesaid casing is. preferably constructed in two parts, which are detacliably yand adjustably connected together, so as to permit the inservtion of the driving rod 7a2 and its expansion spring 715, and, also, to enable the tension of the spring to be regulated.

The return or forward movement of the shaft, is preferably effec-ted by means of a pedal 7r,whose spindle or shaft is consaid pedal 'will raise link 71;', as will beim-- derstood, thereby Yswinging arm g2 upwardly, with thel result that spindleV :g is

Arotated in a` clockwise direction, its fork g being thereby' caiisedto shift sha-ft 7) forwardly,`siich movement di'sengaging disk 7) from friction wheel c7 and, therefore, throwing the transmission out of gear. This pedal mechanism is alsov utilized to lock the transn'iission out of gear, for which purpose the pedal is provided with an extension' 702 that coacts with a sliding crossbar Z, (Figs. 1 and rlhe latter is connected by a rod :or link Z', 'with the'long forward arm of a lever Z2, that is'pivotedA at lo to the chassis, the'short, 'rear' armV of the'tle-l ver being pivotedto the slidingsleeve Z3 keyed tothe shaft or spindle f2, to which sleeve the lever;e i's'fixed. Hence, it follows throw 'out the transmission, and the 'lever f kthat when the pedal has been depressed, to

is moved laterally in the'proper direction,"

the movement of said leverrwill produce a slight slidingmo'vcmentof sleeve Z3 along shaft'Y '742, thereby rocking lever Z2, with the.

result that the bar Z will be shifted endw'is'e beneath the extension 70201: the pedal, thus retaining the pedal in actuated postition.

lhen lever f is again operated to throw'the transmission into gear, the cross-bar Z 'will be withdrawn' from beneath said extension 702 and the pedal will bc returned kto normal position by the downward movement of lever arm g2, effected'as above described. :It

is thus possible'fto throw the transmission into and` out of gear at, any. speed. y

The driving chain 7' is d'isposed'i'withinr a case?, 1)',1which hasa pivotal mounting at'one end on the rear driving axle,v`

(not shown); and is mounted at the other end on an eccentric ,72, thelatter having, 'in turn,V aball-andl-socket mounting on a tubu-V lar support (L200, constituted'by an inward'y extension of the branch a2.' Such arrange-` ment en.ablesft'heend thrust of the axle to be transmitted to the aforesaid support, and,

at the same time, permits the floating movements of the axle relative to shaft d to take place without varying the distance between the two sprockets over which chain j passes, the eccentric also permitting said chain to be tightened when necessary.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the precise construction shown and described, since modifications and changes may obviously be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, means for moving said members into frictional engagement, and a device exerting a constant uniform tension on said means to insure frictional engagement between said members, said device being movable relative to said means, where'- by the force of contact between said members may be increased and diminished without varying the tension exerted on said means.

2. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, a pivoted lever having connection with one of said members for moving said members into frictional engagement, and means exerting constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of said lever, whereby the force of contact between said members may be varied.

3. Friction gearing comprising a disk and a wheel, the latter being shiftable radially relative to the disk, a pivoted lever having connection with said disk for moving the same into frictional engagement with the wheel, and means exerting a constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of the lever, whereby the force of contact between said disk and wheel may be varied.

et. Friction gearing comprisino` a disk and a wheel, the latter being shiftalole radially relative to the disk, a pivoted lever having connection with said disk for moving the same into frictional engagement with the wheel, means exerting a constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of the lever, and means for automatically shifting said force exerting means when the wheel approaches and recedes from the center of the disk, whereby the force of contact between the disk and wheel is increased and diminished.

5. Friction gearing comprising a disk and a wheel, the latter being shiftable radially relative to the disk, a pivoted lever having connection with said disk for moving the same into frictional engagement with the wheel, means exerting a constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of the lever, and a connection between said wheel and force exerting means, whereby the force of contact between the disk and wheel is varied as' the latter is shifted relative to the disk.

G. Friction gearing comprising adisk and wheel, the latter being shiftable radially relative to the disk, a pivoted lever having connection with said disk for moving the same into frictional engagement with the wheel, means exerting a constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of the lever, a connection between said wheel and force exerting means whereby the force of contact between the disk and wheel is varied as the latter is shifted relative to the disk, and manually-controlled means for movin@ said disk and wheel out of engagement.

7. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, a pivoted lever having connection with one of said members for moving said members into frictional engagement, means exerting constant force on said lever and shiftable along the length of said lever, whereby the force of contact between said members may be varied, and manually controlled means for moving said members out of engagement.

8. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, a curved lever having a fixed pivot and movable for shifting said driving member into engagement with the driven member, and pivoted means mounted to oscillate about the center of the arc formed by the curved lever and adapted to constantly exert force upon said lever, whereby the force of contact between said members may be varied by the oscillation of said force exerting means.

9. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, the driven member being shiftable relative to the driving member, a curved lever having a fixed pivot and movable for shifting said driving member into engagement with the driven member, pivoted means mounted to oscillate about the center of the are formed by the curved lever and adapted to constantly exert force upon t-he latter, and a connection between said driven member and force exerting means to operate the latter from the former, whereby the force of contact between said members may be varied.

10. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, shifting means for moving said members into and out of frictional engagement, a device exerting a constant and uniform force on said shifting means to normally insure frictional engagement between said members, said device being movable relative to said shifting means, whereby the force of contact between said members may be increased and diminished, without varying the tension exerted upon said shifting means, and means for locking said shifting means when said members are moved out of frictional engagement.

ll. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, shifting` means for moving said members into and out of frictional engagement, a device exerting a constant force on` said shifting means to nor` mally insure frictional engagement between said members, means for controlling the force of contact between said members, and ay locking device controlled by the operation of said controlling means for locking said shifting means when said members are moved out of frictional engagement.

12. Friction gearing comprising driving and driven members, shifting means for moving said members into and out of frictional engagement, a device exerting a constant force on said shifting means to noi'- mally insure :frictional engagement between said members, means for controlling the force of Contact between said members, and a locking device controlled by the operation of said controlling means for locking said shifting means whenk said members are moved out of frictional engagementand for releasing said shifting means when said members are moved into frictional engagement.

13. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a frame having one end formed `with oppositely projecting arms, a 30 shaft supported in the outer ends of said arms and extending substantially transversely of the frame, a second shaft longitudinally journaled in the frame, a friction disk mounted on one end of said second 35 shaft, a frieten wheel slidably mounted on said first-mentioned shaft for frietional engagement with the disk, said second shaft being slidable endwise in said frame, whereby said friction members may be moved out 4o of engagement, means for normally exerting pressure on said shaft to effect the engagement of said disk and wheel and means for varying the force of contact between said disk and wheel according to the position of 45 Copies 'of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

f Washington, D. C. 

